Perfect dress? Perfect mess
by kcv16
Summary: Episode (6.11) A Perfect dress: if there was a scheduling issue... a major one.
1. 1 Perfect dress?

**Disclaimer: GG is not mine, don't sue**

 **It always bothered me that the wedding was set without Luke's involvement, so what if that was a mistake...**

 _ **For my story the sequence of things:**_

 _Rory is back on track for Yale, she has a full week of school related talks, and does not have much time to spend in the Hollow, but promises to visit soon for some girl talk._

 _The science fair that confirms Luke as April's father is on the day of the Perfect Dress_

 _{ ..} thoughts_

 _[..] action while someone is speaking_

* * *

Rory walks in the diner

RORY: You ordered already?

LORELAI: uh... did I know you were coming today?

RORY: Wedding planning remember? Synchronise watches with my new schedule and hear about your trip with Sookie for inspiration about wedding dresses.

Rory takes her planner out of her bag,

RORY: so due to my hiatus I am going to have to do some catching up with finals at the end of this semester.. That means no wedding in the beginning of June please.. but it would be better to have it at the end of June or even futher into the summer...

I was thinking ...mom?

Lorelai looks at her with horror... {oh my god I forgot to check the date with Rory}

RORY: Were the dresses that bad?

LORELAI: Oh Rory... I have found the perfect dress already [Rory looks sad] and the invitations [Rory looks bewildered] and the venue [Rory starts to look irritated] ….. and everything …. the ..date...

Rory looks almost angry...

RORY: Let me guess, June?

LORELAI: [while cringing] June 3rd but ..

RORY: So my visit here is just to prevent you from having to send me an invitation? Luke? Coffee to go please, I am going to check on Lane..

CEASAR: Luke is not here but I'll get you your coffee, good to see you back here. We all missed you.

x

At the Crap Shack Lorelai was venting about angry Rory

SOOKIE: She is ruining this wedding already

LORELAI: She was so distant, like she was shocked we had everything planned I guess

SOOKIE: She should be glad, with her school and everything there is no time for her to help in the first place.

RORY [who had just walked in]: It would have been nice to be asked to help... And nice to be asked if the date was convenient. But I guess you can do the wedding planning without me.. and the wedding itself well I'll just have to study harder at night or something

LORELAI: Oh sweets, we didn't go to plan the whole thing but it just happened like that, the perfect dress, next door the perfect invitations, the perfect church and the weekend that everybody we know can attend... Are you sure it is not going to be a problem for you, we can postpone..

RORY [seeing her mother is starting to falter and remembering Max]: No it is fine... I will plan my studying around the blessed event plenty of advance warning... you have a date!.

LORELAI: I am going to tell Luke, SO exciting we have a date!

~~~~~~~~~~~~From the episode~~~~~~~~~~~~

LORELAI: June 3rd is the date of our wedding.

LUKE: June 3rd?

LORELAI: Yes. Which is also miraculously a date that absolutely no one in Stars Hollow has a conflict with .

~~~~~~~~~~~~ END EPISODE PART ~~~~~~~~~~~~

Luke hold his hand up to stop her from talking.

LUKE: Lorelai …. if you wanted to reconsider the proposal, you could have just talked to me in person... This elaborate story in the middle of my diner is just cruel.

Lorelai was stumped ….

LORELAI: What?

LUKE (while grabbing his keys): I would like the ring back before you start looking for a good candidate ….or do you already have one lined up? I can't deal with you … this right now.

He yells to Ceasar that he is going out.

CEASAR: Yep boss, everything under control, just be back before dinner rush.

LORELAI: You going …...[Luke slams the door closed behind him] out?

CEASAR: Hi Lorelai... did you distract Luke so much he didn't get your order .. your usual?

LORELAI distractedly: Yeah... where is he going?

CEASAR: He didn't say. Your order is coming right up.

Lorelai walks dejected home after eating her burger … what is eating Luke?

x

At Lane's

RORY: [venting]: Did she not want me to be involved in the planning of her wedding? There is nothing that involves me.. And I might not even have the time between finals to enjoy it... It would be like dragging me from my books to stand next to her at the altar... And bolting immediately after to get back to studying … I know there are at least 4 exams in the week after June 3rd.

LANE: She didn't want to plan without you there and now she plans it without you ...wait ...June 3rd ? But Luke has his health certificate weekend in Boston then... Mine is 2 weeks earlier and Ceasar has his the first weekend of May, Luke had his postponed because it would be in the weekend of Lorelai's birthday.

RORY: So Luke is not even going to be in town that weekend? How long does he know that?

LANE: Oh weeks if not months, I know he told Lorelai about postponing his because of her birthday and she got all sad because...

RORY: She and I were fighting

LANE: Yeah it was a few days before your birthday.

RORY: So the groom is a no show and her daughter is going to be too distracted to enjoy it... Good planning mom, I need to talk to her

LANE: I think it is more Sookie's planning here.. She was a bit on the tyrannical side, not even wanting Luke to be near when they were discussing the wedding, I had to take their orders and deliver them.

x

RORY: I need to talk to mom AND Sookie. But first Luke

Meanwhile

~~~~~~~~~~~~ from episode PRODIGAL DAUGHTER~~~~~~~~~~~~

(CUT to science fair. Luke walks in and starts looking around the booths. He spots April at her booth reading a book. He walks up to her and notices his picture on the top of the booth is circled while there are two other pictures of two other men who's faces are crossed out. She looks up from her book and notices him)

APRIL: Hi?

LUKE: Hi.

APRIL: What are you doing here?

LUKE: Oh, I just came down to see the potato clock.

APRIL: Hmm.

LUKE: It's amazing a potato can do that.

APRIL: Potatoes are extraordinary.

LUKE: So, I guess, uh...

APRIL: Yeah. It's you.

LUKE: And you're sure?

APRIL: Absolutely. You want to see my report? (gives him the report)

LUKE: Uh, yeah. (he takes it and starts going through it a bit) Oh. It's big. (chuckles a bit) Wow, you...sure wrote a lot of...things here. Hey, wait. There's a word in here I know. (chuckles again a little more nervously) So, you're, uh...smart, huh?

APRIL: I've never been tested.

LUKE: But you...you did all this, so you must be smart. (looks at the cover of the report) April Nardini? So, your last name is Nardini?

APRIL: Yes.

LUKE: So, your mom is... (putting two and two together) Anna.

APRIL: Yes.

LUKE: Oh, Anna. Wow. I haven't seen Anna in...

APRIL: ...about 12 years?

LUKE: Yeah. So, uh...how is she? Is she good?

APRIL: Yes.

LUKE: Well, you know, that's...Anna Nardini. Oh, boy. Uh, I think I...I have to sit down.

APRIL: You want my stool.

LUKE: Yeah, thanks. (April gets up, Luke sits) Thanks...I'm just, uh, a little overwhelmed here.

APRIL: You want a capri sun?

LUKE: No, that's OK. So, I'm your father.

APRIL: Yes.

LUKE: I didn't know about you.

APRIL: I know.

LUKE: If I did, I would have, uh...(some people pass by and notice Luke under his picture. Luke to them) Yeah, it's...it's me. Hi. I...I think I'm better now. (get up from the stool)

APRIL: Are you sure?

LUKE: Yeah. That's fine.

~~~~~~~~~~~~ END Episode part~~~~~~~~~~~~

LUKE drives back towards the diner but decides to visit Buddy and Maisy first.

SNIFFY's

MAISY: Hi Luke, did we know you were coming? Where is that gorgeous fiancée of yours.

LUKE: Not sure she wants to marry me, but that is not why I am here... [he drops April's report on the table] I have a daughter.

BUDDY: What? How, who, what?

MAISY [while picking up the report]: Nardini? Don't tell me you got together with that controlling wench, I mean you only dated her to forget about Rachel at the time..

LUKE: No, she .. APRIL ... that is my daughter is 12 years old... Anna never told me she was even pregnant.

He continues to tell them the story of how he found out. And after some prodding by Maisy admits he really wants to get to know her.

BUDDY: Now what is it about Lorelai not wanting to marry you? The girl proposed!

LUKE: She went for wedding inspiration this morning and came back with a fully planned wedding …

MAISY: Wow that is fast, and good right?

LUKE: On June 3rd.

BUDDY/MAISY: Oh

LUKE: Yeah.

~~~~~~~~~Flashback~~~~~~~~~

Lorelai walks in the diner, and shows Luke the invitation for Rory's birthday party at the Gilmore's.

The phone rings, and Luke gets the news that his request for changing the date of the certificate renewal has been granted, but that it is now set in stone.

Luke tells Lorelai about the plans and the nightmare of planning everybody's shifts around the weekends for his staff and himself, even musing whether or not he has to involve Buddy and Maisy.

Lorelai seems to be listening, but is in fact miles away in her head.

~~~~~end flashback ~~~~~

LUKE: She said it was a date that miraculously "absolutely no one in Stars Hollow has a conflict with." [gesturing the air quotes] Except me... So I told her that I want my ring back before she finds herself someone to stand at the altar with her. And then I had to leave for the science fair to meet April … my daughter.

He looks both happy and angry at the same time.

MAISY [softly]: You have to talk to her Luke, sort it out before you start burning bridges.

x

After spending some time with Buddy and Maisy, Luke decides to return to Stars Hollow, he wants to talk to Lorelai before the dinner rush.

Rory walks home from Lane's when a familiar green truck stops next to her.

LUKE: Hi, Need a ride?

RORY: We need to talk.

* * *

To be continued?


	2. 2 We need to talk

**Disclaimer: GG is not mine, don't sue**

 **It always bothered me that the wedding was set without Luke's involvement, so what if that was a mistake...**

* * *

 _Rory walks home from Lane's when a familiar green truck stops next to her._

 _LUKE: Hi, Need a ride?_

 _RORY: We need to talk._

* * *

LUKE: Is your mom home?

RORY: I don't know, but let's not risk it and go somewhere else, the diner?

LUKE: No. Hello magazine holds court at this time, my apartment or maybe the lake?

RORY: The lake.. so many memories, good and bad..

LUKE: I guess we two are the only ones remembering Jess in a positive way.

RORY: Did mom actually apologise for what she said during that fight?

LUKE: Don't worry about it, Rory. It has sorted itself out.

RORY: But I do want to know.. Mom never did tell me what she said.

~~~~~~~~Flashback to Teach me tonight~~~~~~~~~~

LORELAI: No, Luke – Jess did the hurting. That little punk nephew of yours almost killed my kid tonight.

LUKE: Look, I'm sure it was an accident. Accidents happen.

LORELAI: Not with my kid in the car, they don't.

LUKE: Okay, you just need to calm down.

LORELAI: Why did you do this?

LUKE: What are you talking about? Why did I do what?

LORELAI: Why did you bring him here?

LUKE: What?

LORELAI: If you hadn't brought him here, none of this would've happened.

LUKE: This is my fault?

LORELAI: Yes, it is your fault! You told him to come, you let him stay. Everybody hated him, everybody knew he was trouble but you wouldn't listen and you wouldn't send him home and now my daughter is in the hospital!

[Luke walks out of the diner and Lorelai follows him]

LORELAI: You kept pushing them together. You asked her to help him study, you knew she'd never say no. I told you it made me nervous, I told you I didn't like it and I should've stopped it right there. But you thought Rory would be good for Jess, never mind what he'd be for her. That wasn't important at all, was it?

LUKE: Of course it was important.

LORELAI: Why didn't you put a stop to it at the first sign of trouble? Why didn't you make him leave?

LUKE: He's my nephew. I had an obligation to take him in, I had an obligation to care for him.

LORELAI: You had an obligation to this town and to me and to Rory. Where are you going?

LUKE: I have to find out where Jess is.

LORELAI: Well, I'll tell you where he's not – he's not in the emergency room having him arm plastered up!

LUKE: Hey, I am sorry about Rory. You know I care more about her than I do myself, but at least you know where Rory is and at least you know that she's okay. Now, I have to find Jess and I have to make sure that he's okay, and if that cuts into your screaming time, well that's just too damn bad!

LORELAI: Go to hell!

LUKE: Right back at ya!

~~~~~~~~ End Flashback~~~~~~~~

RORY: She did apologise though? I mean mom is not good with admitting she is wrong

LUKE: She wrote me a couple of notes saying that she shouldn't have said what she did. That is as close as a Lorelai Gilmore can get to an apology so I accepted it.

RORY: Do you still have those notes?

LUKE: Why? What good will that do, dragging up the past like that?

RORY: Because mom made a big mistake then and one today and I think they are connected.

LUKE [ponders her words for a while]: My apartment it is.

* * *

After going in through the backdoor of the apartment, inside the apartment

RORY [looking around] It hasn't changed much

LUKE: Your mom wants to paint and redecorate, [chuckles] but I have no desire for pink walls

RORY: [laughs at that] Those curtains are nice... I always wondered who picked them out

LUKE {looking at them with a wistful look}: My mother... In the house those curtains were in the kitchen… After my dad died, I had all their stuff put in storage.. Sold the house … but a couple years later I finally got the nerve to go through those boxes and found them... [with a hint of tears in his eyes and a small smile he lightly touched the fabric] it made this place a bit more like home.  
Now don't make fun Rory,I got enough of that from Rachel and Lorelai.

RORY: They made fun of your mom's curtains? I never thought my mom was that cruel.

LUKE: No... when she made fun of the curtains …. when they made fun of the curtains. I kinda never mentioned my mom... It didn't feel like the right thing to say... You make fun of the curtains.. well they were my dead mother's choice so you're making fun of my mother now?

RORY: I would have thought you'd Taylor anybody who would make fun of your parents.

LUKE: I'd Taylor someone? What does that mean?

RORY: Rant and throw out [she tilts her head a bit to the side] But you'd never do that to my mom.. you love her too much.

Luke shrugs at that... and hands her the Garfield notes

Rory reads them:

 _Dear Luke_  
 _I am soooooo sorry for the fight we had the other night, you have to understand I was worried sick about Rory being in hospital, and so angry at the reason she was there that I had to yell at someone. Jess was not there and you were so I took all my anger out on you._  
 _Sorry again_  
 _Lorelai_

 _Luke_  
 _Aristotles said: Anybody can become angry - that is easy, but to be angry with the right person and to the right degree and at the right time and for the right purpose, and in the right way - that is not within everybody's power and is not easy._  
 _Sorry_  
 _Lorelai_

 _Luke_  
 _Please accept my apologies for my yelling at you. My worries as a mother overruled my common sense_  
 _Lorelai_

Rory looked at Luke, and said : Like I thought, sorry I yelled but not sorry for what I said.

LUKE: [shrugs] I thought it was the best I could get, she was angry at Jess and by extension at me..

RORY: Did she blame you? It was an accident, an animal ran onto the road, trying to avoid it crashed the car... end of story

LUKE: Your mom never liked Jess, this was just another reason to blame him for the bad things in life.. .your life. Sometimes it is better to just let it go...

RORY: And now she planned the whole wedding in one morning without consulting with you or involving me..

LUKE: You weren't there?

RORY: Nope... just my mom and the BFOTBzilla

LUKIE: The what?

RORY: Sookie

LUKE: Ah … but how is that the same thing?

RORY: When mom got something in her head it has to be as SHE wants it, anybody else's opinion be …

LUKE: [interrupts] yeah

RORY: So ….. Lane told me about June 3rd and your certificate, what is that about anyway

LUKE: Restaurant health and safety every 5 years it has to be renewed, with a number of afternoons training and a weekend with exams.

RORY: So it is important.

LUKE: I'd have to close the diner if I do not comply, and there always has to be one person with the certificate in house when it is open. So, Ceasar and Lane get to go through it as well.

RORY: And mom knew

LUKE: She seemed to listen at the time.. but apparently not or she didn't remember. I am still trying to figure out which is better.  
I really do not know...

That is the moment that Ceasar knocks on the door to tell Luke, dinner rush has started early.

Rory is determined to get to the bottom of it all and decides to go to Sookie first.

* * *

TBC ... probably


	3. 3 Fate

_RORY: And mom knew_

 _LUKE: She seemed to listen at the time.. but apparently not or she didn't remember. I am still trying to figure out which is better._  
 _I really do not know..._

 _That is the moment that Ceasar knocks on the door to tell Luke, dinner rush has started early._

 _Rory is determined to get to the bottom of it all and decides to go to Sookie first._

* * *

Rory strides out of the diner, a girl on a mission.. determined to give Sookie and her mom a piece of her mind, when she hears her name being called.

Luke jogs up to her and says: I think it would be best if I handle this scheduling disaster..  
This is between your mom and me. [he puts his hand on her shoulder for a bit] You do not want to get in the middle here..

RORY: Can I at least talk to mom and Sookie about the planning without me bit? [she puts her hand on his shoulder] You do not want to get into the middle of THAT.

LUKE: [chuckles a bit] If you need comfort food after talking to the what did you call her? BFOTBzilla.. You know where to find me.

He returns to the diner and you can her him yell to Ceasar to hold his horses he is on the job.

Miss Patty and Babette are observing this with interest...

* * *

On her way over to Sookie's Rory decides makes a game plan.

How to approach this, she started thinking.

Mom has always been the one so convinced she did the right thing, and yes she mostly did, but sometimes she … And Sookie well Sookie is ...

Rory arrives at Sookie's house and knocks on the door..

Sookie looks at Rory and says you ruined your mom's wedding you know.

RORY: I came here today to help with planning my mom's wedding, and in the process I thought we could get back to being best friends.  
When I talked to her on the phone on Wednesday, there was no wedding to ruin.

SOOKIE: Is that why you acted so indifferent, pumpkin?

RORY: Yeah, I felt left out, like you took over the best friend title and I didn't matter anymore.  
And you have to know that June is really bad for me with all my exams I have to redo because ..[with a handsignal she end her sentence]  
And now I do not know how to approach this without hurting mom's feelings about that or ruining her perfect wedding even more.

SOOKIE: When she found that dress, we were so exited, and every other store we walked in had exactly what she wanted... it was like fate.

RORY: Without sounding selfish but did you, either of you, think about calling me?

SOOKIE: We were on a roll, and I for one didn't want to stop our winning streak. It is like trying to get that dish JUST right... you need to get into and stay in the flow.

RORY: [nodding] fate … smooth sailing …. Smooth Sailing never happens on a friday...On a Friday? Oh... blast...

And as graceful and athletic as Gilmore girls are Rory ran out of the house to meet Lorelai for Friday Night Dinner.

* * *

Luke was busy serving the early dinner guests, while trying to dodge the inquisition by Miss Patty and Babette.  
He needed a bit of time to figure out what to say to Lorelai, and while he can think and serve, he cannot think with Miss Patty and Babette trying to talk to him.

* * *

Rory burst into the Crap Shack: Mom, it's friday, are you coming to dinner? Mom?

Lorelai was asleep on the couch.

RORY: Mom?

LORELAI: What … evil child, waking mommy up like this.

RORY: Mom not now, are you coming to dinner, or are you staying here.

LORELAI: Ugh, I wish you hadn't promised them to come. They'll find a way to blame me for you quitting, and for you leaving...

RORY: No mom I already talked to grandpa about all of that..

LORELAI: Your grandfather is not the problem, sweetie, usually I mean, no it is Adolf I am talking about. It'll be either an icy reception or it will be hot as hell, they'll try to avoid talking about YOUR mistakes and try to find fault with me again.  
{I don't know... They'll have all kinds of questions about you moving out, me being engaged, and try to bully me into a grand spectacle of a wedding 'befitting the Gilmore status'. And Luke is acting odd and you are still not my Rory... On the other hand... I have nowhere else to eat..}  
If we can steer clear of wedding planning and my relationship sure.

RORY: Yeah Yale talk only. I'll help you

LORELAI: Or we could Duke it out with your grandparents about what happened when you quit Yale... That'll distract them from me...

* * *

After the dinner rush Luke finally had time to think...  
He was grateful for Friday Night Dinner for once, that meant he didn't have to wonder whether Lorelai would show up.  
How to solve the problem between him and Lorelai..  
How to handle April, and more importantly how to talk to Anna, she just walked out one day...

* * *

TBC


End file.
